Handrail guard



M. H. HICKEY. HANDRAIL GUARD.

Feb. 6, 1923.

I72 we)? zor: EcZaeZHJYi/Z Patented Feb. 5, 1923.

srarss pltiii.

HANDR-AIL GUARD.

Application filed December 12, 1921. Serial No. 521,723.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, MICHAEL II. HICKEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Handrail Guards, of which the following is aspecification, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings. and tothe reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to porch and stair rail guards, and moreparticularly to means for securing the rail of the porch or stairs to apillar or post.

In the ordinary construction of porch and stair rails, the end of therail, abuts the side of the post and the two are secured together bytoed nails. In a comparatively short time, the joint between the railand the post will ultimately open sufficiently to receive and collectmoisture, causing decay of the contiguous portions of the wood, therusting of the nails, and a disassociation of the parts. The results ofthis trouble are not always visible and consequently serious accidentshave occurred where persons have taken hold of, or leaned up against. aporch or stair rail thus deteriorated, and found that the rail gave wayunder the strain.

The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a metalconnection between the handrail and the post, which will firmly resistoutward or lateral strains on the hand rail. Another object of myinvention is to provide a rail end guardof such form that it may be usedon the job for various applications, by the mere bending of the same,thus obviating the necessity of the contractor or carpenter carrying instock a large assortment of vari-shaped devices.

To the accomplishment of the aforesaid objects, I have provided a flat,relatively wide supporting plate on which the hand rail will rest, andan upright flange secured to said plate on that side or margin where itwill best serve to resist lateral strain. I have also provided thedevice with a pin adapted to enter the post, and a flexible connectionbetween the pin and the supporting plate; all of which will more fullyappear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a porch rail with my improvedguard in position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of my guard, to which a stair rail is attached.

Fig. 3 is a view looking downward, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1,the supporting post being in section.

Fig. at is a vertical sectional view, taken in the plane indicated bythe dotted line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of my guards. detached. 4

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective, of one of the guards.

Fig. 7 is a the guards.

In the form in which I have chosen to illustrate my invention in saiddrawings, A represents the guard as a whole, the same comprising threeessential parts: namely, a pin or tenon 1, a bearing plate 2 and alateral-strain resisting flange member 3. The pin or tenon 1 will be ofsuch diameter and length as to be forced into a suitable opening in anupright or post 4. The plate QWlll be, preferably, wide and flat toreceive the straight surface of a hand-rail 5 of a porch, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3. It will be of such thickness as may be required tosustain the load upon it. The supports A are made rights and lefts,-thatshown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, l, 6 and 7 being a right hand guard and thatshown in Fig. 5 a left hand guard.

The plate 2 and the pin or tenon 1 are connected by a shank member 6. Inthat form of the device wherein the hand rail 5 extends at right angleto the post l, the shank 6 will be in prolongation of and. insubstantially the same plane as the plate 2. In that use, where the handrail 5 extends at an angle to the post 4: as in the case of the stairrail shown in Fig. 2, the shank member 6 will be bent sufficiently tomake the angle plan View of a modified form of of the plane of the plate2 coincident with the angle of the hand rail 5. This can read ily bedone on the j ob by the carpenter or contractor.

7 is a bolt hole punched through the plate 2 by means of which the rail5 will be secured to the plate 2 by means of the bolt 8 and nut 9.

Itwillbe noticed that the parts 1, 2, 3 and 6 areintegral. In Fig. 7however, I have shown. a modification, in this, that the parts are notintegral. It may be convenient to provide the pin or te'non l wvit h arelatively small plate 2 and to provide a second plate 2 having anupturned thrust-resisting flange 3 on one margin, and to securethe twoplates 2 and 2 together by spot Welding or any other suitable means. Inthis construction, the two parts would be preterably secured togetherbeforebein'g placed in the hands of the ultimate user, and the boltaperture 7 punched through both plates. a p

In practice, the carpenter \v'iillv first bor'e a hole in the uprightpost l suitable for receiving the pin or teno'n 1. He'willtlien forcethe pin or tenon in proper position, using a right or left hand'guar'd'a, as the particular job requires. He will then place the handrail 5 in juxtaposition, anclhaving previously bored through the railabolt aperture corresponding to the aperture 7, Will then insert the bolt8 and secure it to the rail and the guard A together, by nieans. ot' thenut 9. The end of the rail 5 may then be nailed to the post or upright4c in the usual manner, although it will be found that such strainas'i's placed upon the rail 5 will be a lateral strain rather than alongitudinal one. Such strain Will bear first against the uprightflange?) and be trans ferred thr'ougli the plate'to the pin or tenon 1,Where of course itwill'be absorbed the resistance of the upright 4. Inother words, the rail will be firmly held in ositio'n againstlateralaispla'cement by means of the construction shown; 7

The device is simple, cheap to manufacture, and has no parts to get outof or'd'er. possesses great utility and durability in use.

I have slidivn the pin 1', as round and \vitli'a square end; This is thepreferred construction but there is no objection to pointing the end norroughenin the surfac'e, similar to the familiar lag sc're'tv orotherwise.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a support, and a rail secured thereto, ofadditional means for preventing separation of said rail from saidsupport comprising a member secured to said rail and provided with aflange adapted to Contact the side of said rail and having an elementextending into an aperture in said support, substantially as described.

2. In combination ith a support, and a rail secured thereto,otadditiona'l means for preventing separation of said rail fromsaidfsupport comprising a member having its body port'ion secured tothebottorn of said rail and an integral flange. projecting upward fromsaid body portion to contact a side the ran ncra integral tenonextending nae aperture in said support, substantially as described. 7

3. As a new article of manufacture for use as a guard for preventingseparation of rails from their supports, comprisinga fiat plate adaptedto be secured to the base of the rail, an integral flange adapted tocontact aside of the rail and an integral tenon located in the sameplane as the plate adapted to extend into the support.

4;. As a article of ,manufacture for use as a guard for preventingseparation of rails from their supports comprising a flanged plateadapted to be secure dto the base of the rail to embrace a sideth'ereof,

and provided tvith tenon adapted to extend into thesupport,'the junctureof said ten'on and plate being so formed as to per- Init said tenon tobe distorted tor attach- Inent torails of different angular inclination.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I atfixunysignature, in the presence of be I g o witnesses, this 30th day ofNovember,192li H MICHAEL H. HICKEY. WVitnes'ses:

v TAino'ii 1E. BRo iviT, B1 L. Maturation.

